Like raspberries and blueberries, blackcurrants have a strong Scottish identity, with many varieties named after Scottish mountains, such as Ben Avon, Ben Hope and Ben Loyal. For all this, these small round fruits are grown widely around the UK, with most commercial crops turned into Ribena, a squash that gained popularity during World War II when exotic fruits from abroad became scarce. Ribena takes its name from the blackcurrant’s botanical nomenclature, Ribes nigrum.
In the garden, the fiddly work of picking clusters of blackcurrants is rewarded with bowlfuls of rich, finger-staining fruits that can be turned into the culinary delights of summer: jellies, fools, ice creams, compotes and crumbles. They are the ideal fruit for fickle UK climates, preferring cooler weather to long, scorching days, so should not be grown…